


Oblivious, but cute

by surrenderdammit



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, First Time, Good friend Liv, Oblivious, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surrenderdammit/pseuds/surrenderdammit
Summary: Rafael wants to ask Carisi out on a date. He's had problems being taken seriously, so he asks Liv for advice. Basically, be blunt and go for it.





	Oblivious, but cute

**Author's Note:**

> IDK what's happening. I have two other Barisi fics in the works. This is my second published one.
> 
> Man, I fell for this pairing HARD. 
> 
> Anyway, so. I've done cis females Barba and Carisi. I really liked that, so I tried cis female Carisi with male Barba. I liked that too. 
> 
> So. Um, English isn't my first language and this hasn't been beta read, so please excuse any typos/grammatical errors. Thank you!
> 
> Also, in this headcanon Sunny is bisexual, and Rafael doesn't really label himself. It's not brought up in the story though. Might expand on it if I write more in this 'verse. For now it's just a short and sweet drabble.
> 
> Enjoy! Hopefully :)
> 
> PS/ I'm sorry about the title. My mind drew a blank. Lol.

xXx

 

Rafael had disliked her on sight. Dominica Sunny Carisi was dressed in a cheap, ill-fitting pantsuit and had a haircut straight out of the 80’s at the time, so of course he had been offended. Appalled. Then she had opened her big mouth and that was that.

Obnoxious. Brash.  _ Bubbly _ . Clearly overcompensating for something, the way she behaved back then. It was a shame she had to go and turn into a competent, smart detective with an upgraded wardrobe.

Graduating law school and passing the bar? Unfair. Clearly playing dirty.

Rafael doesn’t understand how he’s supposed to resist all that. It really doesn’t help that her crush on him hasn’t lessened over the years, or become any less obvious. It’s almost painful to see, and not because it makes him uncomfortable or embarrassed.

He really, really wants her to act on it. He  _ doesn’t  _ want to pressure or coerce her, however. He doesn’t think he can take the first step, here. He’s acted as her mentor, he’s close friends with her boss. They work together.

Still valid reasons, but they’re becoming less and less effective. He might have to initiate a  _ talk.  _ Outside work.

Maybe after talking it over with Liv, first.

Dios mío, he almost misses the days when Sunny’s comments would genuinely annoy him rather than making him want to kiss her.

Wait, no. He misses the days he still called her  _ Carisi  _ in his head.

Mierda.

 

xXx

 

“She can’t seriously be this oblivious,” Rafael exclaims, equal parts exasperated as disbelieving. He downs his glass of whiskey and moves to refill it, ignoring Liv’s pointed look. “I’ve practically delivered her lines on a silver platter! Yet she doesn’t bite. I joke about her intellect, but this is ridiculous.”

Liv leans back in her chair. They’re in her office, after hours, and the subject of their current conversation is sitting hunched over her own desk on the other side of Liv’s closed door, putting in OT.

“I think you might have shot yourself in the foot, Rafael. You’re a sarcastic bastard, towards Sunny more than most. I suspect a snarky  _ you owe me a drink for that line, Carisi _ doesn't scream  _ please ask me out already  _ to her, especially coming from you,” Liv reasons. Rafael hates when she makes sense.

“Then I don’t know what to do. She takes flirting as empty banter. It’s driving me insane,” he mutters while pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I can’t exactly say what I want without risking a sexual harassment suit.”

Liv laughs at his pain, the heartless woman. “She wouldn’t do that. You harass her verbally enough, and she takes it for what it is; harmless. She knows you. Honestly, Raf, you’re both adults. Ask her out for a drink. Talk to her. She’s got backbone, and she’s got me and the squad to watch her back. You’re overthinking this.”

“Right,” Rafael sighs. Maybe she’s right.

“Honestly, if she doesn’t want you she’ll reject you, she won't feel pressured to please you. You’re not that kind of man, and she knows it. All the more reason I’m sure she won’t turn you down. Plus, she’s been mooning after you forever.” Liv smiles.

It’s nice to hear this from someone he trusts. He hoped she’s right, and he trusts her judgement. She’s the kind of boss and friend Sunny won’t be afraid to turn to, if needed.

He’s grateful for that.

“Thank you, Liv,” Rafael says, voice soft and sincere. She smiles, like she understands. Which she probably does.

They know each other well.

“Now, what are you waiting for, Rafael? Go get your girl,” she urges him on with a laugh, and he rolls his eyes.

Still, she has a point.

Rafael finishes his whiskey and stands up, buttoning his suit jacket. Determined. Sunny is on the other side of that door. He walks up, opens it. Waves goodbye to Liv, tries and fails to contain his smirk when Sunny’s head looks up immediately, blue eyes seeking him out. Like always.

Rafael closes the door to Liv’s office, cutting her off from the conversation he’s about to have.

“Everything all right, counselor?” Sunny inquires, smiling and showing off her dimples. She’s so pretty. Big blue eyes, wavy blonde hair. A mouth made for laughter and smiles. As tall as him, but with legs that go on for miles.

He ruefully thinks back on the first time he saw her. He’d been too distracted by her hair and clothes to look past it. But only for a little while.

There’s no denying she’s beautiful. Though he did try, very hard. Until he didn’t.

“I have a proposition for you,” he begins, waving off her question as rhetorical and therefore irrelevant.

“Alright,” Sunny says carefully, noticeably wary at the serious tone of his voice. She rests her arms on her desk, leaning forward. Ready to listen. “Shoot.”

Rafael wishes he wasn’t looking down at her for this. He drags a chair over, sits down. Levels the field. He doesn’t want to hover, or loom, for this.

“First thing first: I say this as Rafael, to Sunny. Not ADA Barba to Detective Carisi. You with me, Sunny?” he begins, wanting to make this clear. Flirting and talking in euphemisms hadn’t worked, after all. Direct, and blunt. That should. Hopefully.

She looks confused, but delighted at the use of her preferred name. “Yeah, sure. You got it! So, um, does this mean I can call you Rafael?”

He might regret this, but, “Yes. Don’t abuse it,” probably not, if he’s honest.

“Cross my heart and hope to die, Rafael!” Sunny grins, bright and bubbly as ever.

Rafael almost resents the fact that it only endears him to her more.

“I’m going to ask you out for a drink, as a friend. If you say yes, I’m going to ask you if I can take you out on a date. If you say no, I’ll walk away, and you can ask me some other time, if you wish, as a friend or not. Does that sound good to you?” he asks while watching her face for any signs of discomfort.

He sees her blush, instead. Mouth hanging slightly open in shock, for a moment, before she’s beaming again. Excited, disbelieving, but not cornered.

“For real, counselor? Sorry,  _ Rafael.  _ Wow. Yes, yes to both,” she finally replies, clapping her hands together. “Both the drink and the date, I mean. To be clear.”

He finds it hard not to return her smile, though his is more like a smirk. He feels distinctly smug at her enthusiasm, and flattered. He’s not ancient, but he is a decade older. 41 to her 31. He’s seen her turn many heads, his being one of them. It feels good to have her excited at the prospect of dating him.

“Then shall we?” Rafael prompts, standing up and offering her a hand with a charming smile. Her eyes twinkle, and her smile is softened by something he suspects might be affection. She takes his hand and stands, pulling her jacket off the back of her chair once she lets go of him.

“With pleasure!” she says happily as he steers her away from her desk, out of the station, with one hand on the small of her back.

Rafael couldn’t agree more.

 

xXx

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr as hereinlimbo :)
> 
> Comments are love and inspirational! :D


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